Card separating device



Oct. 5, 1948. c. R. NYMAN 2,450,442

CARD SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 12, 1945 Patented Oct. 5, 1948 CARD SEPARATING DEVICE Carl R. Nyman, Washington, D. 0. Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,395

4 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O.

The invention described herein may be manue factured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the .payment to me of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention relates to a device for separating cards, sheets and the like, and more particularly to a device having a needle-like element which may be passed through aligned perforations or openings in a stack of cards, sheets or the like, and which may then be vibrated to secure card separation according to the openings in the cards.

The device of the present invention has demonstrated its advantages when used with perforated or slotted record cards to facilitate a direct sorting and classifying of the cards. Record cards, such as those in census taking, have printed indicia and a pattern of uniform perforations.

Each perforation of a card corresponds to a particular fact concerning the subject, such as a farm, of which that card is to be a record. When a stack of perforated cards. has been processed by enlarging selected perforations in each card, the stack may be classified or sorted by means of the device of this invention. The needle of the device is passed through a perforation or enlarged opening in each card of the stack and. is then vibrated to secure card classification into two groups. One group of cards will consist of those cards having unmodified perforations which extends the separating needle. The other group will separate out since they have enlarged perforations through which the separating needle extends.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved device for separating cards, sheets and the like.

Another object is to provide a card or sheet separating device which will preclude accidental removal of the cards or sheets from its needle during the separating operation.

A further object is to provide a record card separating device which is of relatively simple, inexpensive, eflicient, light weight, and durable construction.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational side view of a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the device of Figs. 1 through 3 assembled with a stack of cards to demonstrate a separating operation.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the illustrated device is formed of three metallic parts A, B and C. The part A is shown in the form of heavy wire or a rod which is shaped or bent to provide a. handle similar to a pistol-grip in side view.

The part B is the separating needle and is secured in suitable manner at In and H to the handle A. Thus the inner end I2 of the needle B extends across and acts as a brace for the handle A and contributes to its rigidity and resistance to pressure if squeezed by the hand of an operator.

The downwardly extending end N3 of the rod or wire forming the handle A serves both as a brace for the handle A and as a spacer for the parts B and C.

The needle part B preferably is rectangular in cross section (see Fig. 3) with a depth about twice its width and is formed. of resilient material to permit lateral deflection (looking at Figs. 2 and 3) while being resistant to deflection in the plane normal to the plane of said lateral deflection and the plane of the accompanying drawing. The indicated cross sectional shape and measurements for the needle part B have been determined to be well suited to the requirements of conventional, rectangularly-perforated record cards generally used in census analysis procedures.

The part C is resilient and may be formed of the same stock as the part B. One end of the part C has the shape of a hook ill for engagement with the needle B, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1. The intermediate section I6 of the part C serves as a card retainer or barrier when the separating device has the setting of Figs. 2, 3 and 4 (also shown in full lines in Fig. 1). Section I! of the part C is rigidly and suitably connected at I8 to the top of the handle A and serves both as a spring and as a support for the card retainer or barrier l6 and for the hook I5. Section ll in its full line position of Fig. 1 is slightly bowed by reason of its resiliency, but in general is substantially parallel to the needle B. Section I! and the needle B are so relatively disposed that the edges of one lie in a plane normal to the plane defined by the edges of the other, as shown by Fig. 3. Thus looking at Fig. 3, the needle B is flexible laterally while the section I1 is flexible in a plane passing through the normal position of the needle B.

Sections l6 and I! are relatively bent at an. an-

gle of about 90 degrees and are also relatively twisted at an angle of about 90 degrees so that section [6 is relatively rigid in the direction for withstanding a thrust endwise of the needle B and by a stack of cards supported by the needle B.

The use of the present device in separating a stack of cards I9 is illustrated in Fig.4. For convenience, only a few cards I9 are shown in Fig. 4. But it is obvious that the device may be used for separating a stack of cards corresponding substantially in total thickness to the length of the needle B between its point of support I and-the hook l5. Fig. 4 shows the cards I9 after separation into two groups, one group being retained by the needle B.

In preparing the separating device for use in sorting material such as record cards, thepart C is set in the upper dotted line position of Fig. 1. The outer end of the needle B, which is preferably pointed, :is "now clear vfor. insertion in a stack of cards l9 having aligned openings-some :ofw'hich fare-regular: perforations :20, the. remainder being *enl-arged'perforations'or slots '2]. The needle is passed completely'through the-.group of cards I9 tdbeseparated. .The operator-now presses'the :thumbof hisha-nd, in which the device is supyported, against-the section or spring I! to position (see the lower dotted line position of Fig. l) the hook 1 r below 'the outer 2 end portion of the needle B. During thisdownward-movement, the 'hook liengages the needle B and laterally dis- 'plaoes.the latter to permit the hook topass. This displacement is facilitated by the roundedshape 'of -the-leading end *of the hook f5. VfiFhen the hook l5 has passed beyond the needle B, the operator releases the 'thumb pressure on the "spring I thereby permitting-it to return until the'hook engages the needle "B as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 through 4. Thepierced cards 'are'now'preven'ted 'fromsliding off the inner end -:of the needle "3 by the handle portion I3 and the'out'er end of the needle B by theret-ainer l5. *At'this timeyit will be noted that the spring l1 =-andthe needle B in-the' full-line positiono f l igs. -1-and-4 have such spacing as to provide the necessary clearance between the impaled cards I 9 a-ndthe-spring- H. This clearance is obtained by spacing-thespring-l I and the needle B a distance greater than the'spacing of a cardperforation "'20 and the adjacent card edge (see Fig. 4).

'Ihe'operat-or moves his 'hand to vibrate the supported separating device. Thecards having :engaiged unmodified perforations 2'0 retain-their position 'on the needle B, and the cards "having engaged enlarged perforations 2| fall under the *action of gravity. In the event the needle engaged, A enlarged perforations 2 I "extend through the-edges of the cards IS, the latter "fall com- -pletely offthe separating needle B.

-'Ihe cards I 9 retained on the needle B may 'be removed therefrom by'sh'ifting the spring I! to the upper dotted lineposition of Fig. 1.

The spring I-1 and thehook T5 are reset from thefulfline positionof Figs. land 4 to the upper dotted line position'of Fig. 1 by thumb control. *By pressing downwardly on the spring I! with the thumb, and then pressing the spring ll'slightly sidewise while relieving it of the downward pressure, the hook I5 is permitted to pass the needle'li;and-the spring l l'returrrs to its upper "dot'ted line pos-ition of Fig. '1 un-derits inherent resilient action.

Obvious modifications falling within the scope 'of this *invention include-the formation "of the 4 parts B and C of relatively inflexible rod-like material with a resilient connection for supporting the part C so that it may be thumb operated in the above described manner.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the present invention which is to be understood as including all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A separating device for sorting or classify- -ing perforated record cards and the like, said device comprising: a substantially straight needle adapted to have one end thereof passed through aligned. perforations in a stack of record cards or the like; a card retainer movable into one positionfor precluding said cards from slipping off said. needle end and into a second position to free said needle f-or'removal of cards from said needle end; a handle supporting said needle; a finger operated, elongated member spaced from said needle and connecting said card 'retainer 'to said handle; and means for securing said member'and said retainer relative to said needle with said retainer in said one position, said member being adapted for finger operation to control said securing 'means.

2. A separating device for sorting or classifying perforated record cards and the like, said device comprising: a handle supporting two spaced elongated members, one of'said members being in the form of a substantially straight needle adapted-to Joe-passed through alignedperforations in a stack of record cards or the like; the second member being resilient at least in part,

.and being adapted for finger operation toward said need-1e; and, means for securing said second member in predetermined depressed position relative to said needle, said second 'memberin saidlpredetermined secured position having a section thereof arranged to preclude record cards from slipping off one end of said needle.

3. .A separating device for sorting or classify- .ingperforated'record cards'and the like, said device comprising: a substantially straight and elongated .needle adapted tobe passed-through aligned perforations in astack of record cards or the like; a handle for supporting one end of said needle; and a resilient elongated member supported by said handle, said member having a hook-shaped outer end for engaging the outer end of said needle to preclude record cards from slipping off said needle end; said 'member being resilient to retain saidhook and said needle in engagement, to permit finger operation for disengaging and engaging said hook and said needle, and to maintain said hook spaced from said needle when 'freed therefrom to permit record cards to be placed on and removed from said needle.

4. .A device for sorting or classifying perforated record cards and the like, according to the size of the engaged perforations in the cards, said device comprising: a "first elongated member shaped into the form of apistol-grip; "a'second elongated memberextending across and secured at spaced points to said pistol-grip-to brace the same and also extending from said pistol-gripat a point intermediate the ends-thereof to form a substantially straight needle adapted 'tohave the outer end thereof passed through aligned perforations or openings in a stack of cards "or the like, said nee'dle being of oblong cross section and being laterally flexible; and a third elongated member secured adjacent one' end rthereof'it'o the 5 upper portion of said pistol-grip, having a first longitudinal section extending outwardly from said pistol-grip for a distance corresponding substantially to the length of said needle, and having a second longitudinal section extending at an angle from said first section and toward said needle, said second section terminating in :a hook shaped part for engaging said needle adjacent \the outer end thereof, said third member being oblong in cross-seotion and having a 90 degree twist therein between said first and second sections thereof, said first section being resilient in a plane passing through said needle.

CARL R. NYMAN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Oonnor 1 Nov. 4, 

